Pubdate: Thu, 15 May 2014
Source: Times, The  (Munster IN)
Copyright: 2014 The Munster Times
Contact:  http://www.nwitimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/832
Author: Gregory Tejeda

LANSING TO CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA REGULATIONS IN JUNE

LANSING - The Village Board will be asked next month to consider a
series of rules by which facilities selling marijuana for medical
purposes would be allowed to operate within the village.

The village's Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals reviewed the issue
Wednesday night and voted to give their recommendation to the idea.

It now goes to the full Village Board for a final vote. The board
meets again Tuesday, but Village Attorney Timothy Lapp said it will
take time for him to craft the final ordinance, and that a final vote
is not likely until either June 3 or 17.

The ordinance in question is meant to give local officials some say in
the way cannabis is distributed for medical use within Lansing.

The new state law that created such facilities took effect Jan.
1.

State law dictates the facilities where the product is sold can be no
closer than 1,500 feet to residential neighborhoods or schools.
Cultivation facilities where it is grown can be no closer than 2,500
feet to those neighborhoods.

But issues such as hours when facilities can be open as well as
security requirements are not covered in state law.

The ordinance Lapp is crafting will address those issues as well as
the type of sign that can be displayed to advertise the business.

Lapp said Zoning Board members made some suggestions as part of their
recommendation that will be incorporated into the final ordinance,
although he said they did not significantly change it.

Lansing is not the first area community this year to approve such
measures. Sauk Village approved one early in the year, while South
Holland created a similar measure last month.

Officials in these communities say they want to be ready should any
business interest approach them wanting to locate a medical marijuana
facility there.

Thus far, no one has approached Lansing seeking to locate a facility,
said T.J. Grossi, the village building commissioner who helped to
craft the plan under review.

Because of state restrictions on the distance between marijuana
facilities and residential areas, village officials have said the only
parts of Lansing that could accommodate such operations are on the far
northern edge of the municipality, along with the far western edge
where there are industrial business interests.
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